Resonator fiber optic gyros (RFOGs) have tremendous potential for meeting the needs of many navigation and attitude control markets. One major source of rotation error that could limit the realized RFOG performance is intensity modulation that is generated when performing frequency or phase modulation of the light that is used for probing the resonator resonance frequency and determining rotation. Within the art available today, to achieve performance potentials the intensity modulation from existing frequency or phase modulators needs to be reduced by as much as 60 dB at the resonance detection modulation frequency. A servo that directly controls the intensity of the light via an intensity modulator can be used, however a very high speed intensity modulator would need to be employed. Integrated optics intensity modulators made from Lithium Niobate waveguides provide very high speed intensity modulation, but tend to have significant optical loss, are relatively large and costly. There are other types of intensity modulators that have significantly lower optical loss, are small and inexpensive, but do not provide the speed necessary to employ prior art intensity servos.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for resonator fiber optic gyroscope intensity modulation control.